This inventin relates generally to an electrical connector and, more particulary, to an electrical connector containing insulation displacing electrical contacts.
It is common practice to electrically and mechanically connect a conductor to an electrical contact by providing a narrow slot in the contact and moving the conductor laterally of its axis into the slot so that the edges of the slot displace or pierce the insulation and penetrate the core of the conductor to establish electrical contact therewith. A connector containing insulation displacing contacts of this type is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,318 to Reavis, Jr. et al. Such connector is a printed circuit board connector in which each contact therein has a tubular termination section formed with a longitudinally extending slot which receives the conductor to be terminated to the contact. The conductors are simultaneously attached to the contacts by the use of a suitable fixture disclosed in a patent. The requirements of a special fixture to perform the termination procedure has obvious disadvantages. The use of a special fixture adds to the cost of making the terminations and, in some occasions, the fixture may not be available at an installation where, for example, old terminations must be replaced.
In copending application of Carl W. Peterson entitled, "Electrical Connector and Contacts Therefor", Ser. No. 527,600, filed Nov. 27, 1974, there is a disclosed an electrical connector having insulation displacing contacts in a connector housing. A cover for the housing functions as a tool which forcibly inserts the conductors into the temination sections of the contacts when the cover is attached to the housing. While this arrangement overcomes the requirement for a special fixture to perform the conductor termination procedure, all the contacts are terminated simultaneously as in the Reavis, Jr. et al. patent. The simultaneous insertion of the conductors into the contacts in the connector is certainly advantageous in making an initial electrical installation due to the savings in time which results. However, such an arrangement has the disadvantage that the cover for the connector housing must be completely removed in order to permit removal or replacement of conductors in the connector, such as may be required when modifying the connection system in the future or to make repairs. The cover of the connector may be dropped or misplaced by the serviceman. Furthermore, removal of the cover may result in inadvertent removal of some of the conductors from the connector with a possible poor electrical and mechanical connection being achieved when such conductors are again terminated to the contacts. Furthermore, if manufacturing tolerances are not carefully maintained, it is possible that complete termination of the conductors to the contacts may not be achieved when all the conductors are terminated simultaneously, as when using the connector cover as the conductor insertion tool.
It is the purpose of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art connectors by providing an insulation displacement connector which does not require fixture for terminating the conductors to the contacts therein nor removal of a connector cover, and which allows independent termination of conductors to the contacts so that individual conductors may be removed or replaced with a minimum of time and with no risk of adversely affecting the terminations of other conductors to the contacts in the connector.